Sports anchor and journalist Prim Siripipat and sports psychologist and mental game coach Dr. Karla Steingraber talk about the mindset behind “pre” and “post” athletic career transitions.
From navigating how to return to “civilian” life after a career-ending injury (which Prim has researched and reported on extensively), to knowing when and how to support your child athlete if there are signs they could go pro, Prim and Karla look at the mental side of sports. Prim shares her real life experience as a rising national tennis star whose career was ended almost before it started with an injury in college.
Prim and Karla connected as both are alumni of Duke University. (And Prim even named her son Duke!) Prim is now working on her PhD in psychology, with a vision to be the “Dr. Phil of sports psychology,” understanding that athletes are people first, and diving deeply into their mindset and how it shifts across their career.
Some Takeaways
- Prim has studied how professional athletes can thrive across their career–from support during early competitions to growing, responding to injuries, retiring and more.
- She’s now pursuing a PhD in psychology to look at how athletes can be better supported. It’s about “recognizing that athletes are people first,” before the focus just on physical performance.
- A parents role is to expose their child to multiple experiences, including sports, if they find one in which their child excels, then find a good coach and step away.
- Prim went back to tennis as an adult, trying to leave the game on her terms and get the closure she didn’t get when an injury cut short her professional tennis trajectory in college.
Watch the Interview Now
About Prim Siripipat
Prim is an award-winning sports anchor and journalist with more than 15 years national sports media experience. Currently hosting her own show, The Next Chapter with Prim Siripipat on The Athletic, Prim spent the previous 7 years as a host, anchor and reporter for ESPN (Sports Center, First Take and hosted her own radio show, “Spain & Prim”.) With the belief that a lesson learned is an opportunity for a lesson taught, the former Division I and Pro athlete regularly hosts and speaks at a number of high profile events throughout the world with the hopes of inspiring others to pursue their own dreams.
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And see what’s coming next on psiripipat.com.